Home made dress dummy!

[GirlChris]

Being very skinny from the waist up, I have found it very hard to find a dress dummy that matches my measurements, especially my corseted measurements. The only things I had found were either a)antiques that I would be scared to use or b)the squishy Uniquely You form, with the possibility of a foam-ectomy.

So I thought maybe the do-it-yourself method might be for me. I tried the duct tape dummy without much luck. There was a lot of stretching and it ended up about four inches bigger around than I am. An attempt at doing a plaster cast type thing similarly failed.

So I tried a new method which, surprisingly, I haven't found anywhere else. Stealing an idea from the Uniquely You cover, I made a sort of slipcover by drafting a sloper to my measurements (I drafted the pattern in Pattern Maker, which is a pattern drafting software). I did a few alterations so that it fit skin tight (mainly making the bust even smaller and adjusting for my swayback). Now all I needed was something sturdy to fill it out. Unfortunately, I was out of stuffing.

With a little bit of shoving, I was able to use the cover as a pillow case. I then added fabric scraps to sort of fill it out



And here it is wearing my bodice



Right now it's a bit wrinkly and lumpy, so I'm going to be getting some proper stuffing and I'll be covering over the neck, the arm holes and the bottom, but I'm just so pleased that it worked!

[dbaldock]

If you want it to be "firm", you could put a large plastic bag in it and spray the Low or Medium Expanding Foam Insulation into the bag.


Take Care,
David Baldock

[gem]

Well done! 

I've given lots of thought to trying something similar. I have a mannequin that's about a size 2, and I've thought of buying a body shaper for a cover, and stuffing that to my measurements. The thing is, as a project it's not all that appealing. I'd much rather actually *sew* something, then spend my sewing time on a project like that. How long did it take you to get the stuffing right?

[GirlChris]

How long did it take you to get the stuffing right?

Oh, the stuffing's not right yet. That's actually my pillow with some fabric scraps. I need that back for sleeping tonight. I certainly hope my back doesn't look like that! I mean, it might. How often does one see one's own back?

Proper stuffing will be next weekend's project, and I'll probably try doing the expanding foam like David suggested. (I had planned on doing the expanding foam thing, but hadn't thought of the plastic bag.) This weekend's project is going to faire! Yay!

The thing is, as a project it's not all that appealing. I'd much rather actually *sew* something, then spend my sewing time on a project like that.

I looked at it as a learning exercise. I got some practice in with my pattern drafting software, as well as finding out what alterations are needed that the software doesn't account for (swayback, no chest as previously mentioned) as well as practice with pressing and sewing curves.

[LadyJuliana]

That was an awesome idea, Chris! I've alwasy wanted a dummy & now you've given me an idea...

See you at Faire this weekend! 

[LadyShadow]

Great job.  I think I might have to follow your example and make myself one.

[GirlChris]

Further advances are made on the home made dress dummy!

I added a neck (how can you check the fit of a collar without a neck?) by sewing a tube to the neck hole and then sewing a circle on the end of the tube. That was NOT fun. The sewing machine much prefers two dimensional shapes.  I went out and got stuffing, and commenced... well, stuffing. I did discover one problem that has been noticed by various dress dummy users the world over- I have a couple of curves in the chest area that the stuffing just didn't want to replicate.

Lucky me, have a convertible bra that I can't wear because the elastic gives me a rash. I put on the straps so they line up with the princess seams and put it on the dummy. This way, she has a chest when I'm doing sewing for eras that thought breasts were good, and can get rid of them when we get into eras that thought squishing them flat was a good idea.

Pictures!


Hmmm... with the bra on, the fabric REALLY looks like a terrible fake tan.

Now I just have to cover over the arm holes and build a base. Then it's done!

[operafantomet]

Love that tan! Hehehe. But seriously, what an excellent idea!